Why No Foot Pumps for PCP's?
- Thread starter MJS
- Start date
WOW!
The way some of you are complaining about hand pumping, I am surprised you can even hold up the airgun to shoot it! (friendly chuckle)
Some of us can't
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I did read the thread, and people are asking for an easier way to hand pump because obviously hand pumping is hard for some of these guys. They want a foot operated pump because typically people have more strength in their legs/lower body than upper body. The idea of a hand pump however is using leverage to push down through the 3 stages of the pump to build the pressures up. As has been stated, there wouldn't be enough stroke to produce the force needed to build pressure high enough using foot power, unless it's like the bicycle idea that was mentioned. Now you're using essentially a pulley and chain setup to drive the pump.
I made my elementary drawing to give an idea of making a fulcrum to assist the hand pump. It would easily lessen the forces needed by a good 50% or so. It would also cost like $25 to make as long as you had the tools and skills to cut boards and drill holes lol.
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It is strange that the new Dragonfly II multi-pump design was originally created as a hand pump, but was not brought to market .
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If you hand pump , best you can do is change the original handle for one of solid iron with enough weight to make gravity helping you in the effort pushing down.
It is very simple: buy a piece of solid iron you can handle. Measure where to make the two holes for the screws, mount it and.... Pump with less effort.
Easy:
It is very simple: buy a piece of solid iron you can handle. Measure where to make the two holes for the screws, mount it and.... Pump with less effort.
Easy:
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You could then just use the hand pump to club your prey to death!
It is a good idea though. Wider grip would give you more force applied.
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I seldom hand pump, I'm lazy and I want clean, dry air, so I go to the dive shop. But, if you hand pump correctly, your hands, and even your arms have little to do with it. It's your body weight that should be doing the work. I appreciate the options mentioned, but I don't see either of them making a silk purse out of this sow's ear.
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.... You could then use the hand pump to club your preybto death!
Well all depends of how you shoot...
In an extreme case of lack of accuracy, for sure it could be an option to take into consideration....
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I saw that and have seen it before. Good idea.
What I was referring to is your reference to filling a large tank with a hand pump. I have said in at least one post that if you need such a tank and shoot larger calibers or simply like to shoot a lot at one time, then a compressor is probably something you need.
However, if I had or needed a large bottle/tank/tube, I would STILL fill it with the hand pump over many sessions. Then, I would still top it back off with the hand pump before it got so low that a hand pumping session caused the hand pump to over heat and me to sweat. I always hand pump inside where the a/c keeps the dew point and RH to a minimum.
As I have also said before, to each their own. Hand pumping is a viable option in many situations and considering the cost of a decent compressor, plus the cost of maintaining one, hand pumping will always be the best option for the most people.
JMHO
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Can't what? Hand pump? Or raise the airgun up to shoot it? (silly sheepish grin)Some of us can't
If you can't hand pump for physical reasons, then by all means get a good compressor... if you have the $$$$.
I never said everyone should hand pump. Just that is the most viable option for the most people, IMHO.
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Found an interesting factoid in a Hatsan hand pump manual
The advertised pump is indicated as requiring a 170 pound handle force at 3,000 psi. Another article I read on Airgun Depot (sorry can't find it now...) recommends minimum weight of 200 pounds for stability. I weigh 210 and when hand pumping to 3,000 psi I feel like I'm about to come off my feet. I hate pumping...
The advertised pump is indicated as requiring a 170 pound handle force at 3,000 psi. Another article I read on Airgun Depot (sorry can't find it now...) recommends minimum weight of 200 pounds for stability. I weigh 210 and when hand pumping to 3,000 psi I feel like I'm about to come off my feet. I hate pumping...
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I seriously can't raise the rifle to shoot it . But I was just teasing you because you really made me laugh.
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The average age at AGN is 56 years. Me? I'm 70. I can still hand pump my Condor but ... clearly the way you are whining about our complaining documents your youth...WOW!
The way some of you are complaining about hand pumping, I am surprised you can even hold up the airgun to shoot it! (friendly chuckle)
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Don't you then have to lift that extra weighted handle on the upstroke, effectively cancelling out the ease potentially gained on the downstroke?
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Nop.
The preassure inside the pump lifts the iron by itself. That works until the weigh of the iron equals the force of the preassure,
The size of the iron in the pictures is adequate and is lfted by the preassure of the pump.
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@Boostcreep , I had that same thought & drawing on paper about 3 weeks back. Was wondering if I could make a long lever type attachment that could be universal for hand pumps. Mo' leverage!
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The gym equipment was a good idea, I can picture someone using a kegel machine to pump air into a tank…
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Must be the differences in pump design. My Hill MK3 handle doesn't raise by itself, gotta pull up. I was under the impression that it's doing is thing on both up and down stroke. I can hear/feel air moving on the upstroke. I always assumed it moved air between the stages and then the final compression was on downstroke.
I vaguely remember reading that pump handles aren't supposed to raise by themselves but can't remember if that was pre Chinese Amazon pumps or not so may no longer apply.
I wouldn't want the weighted handle on mine, with how it functions. But again, must be variations in design between our pumps.
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